Demystifying the concept of etiquette

BANGALORE: In a country as diverse as India, etiquettes are distinctive and they can vary hugely depending on which part of the country you belong to. Talking about business etiquettes, it is a different ball game altogether as we aren't taught about it in college and nor are we told about it in our offices. How a working professional deals with a client in India Inc. depends entirely on the individual and there is no book guide he or she can refer to, in case they need help. The book, Business Etiquette — A Guide for the Indian Professional by Shital Kakkar Mehra answers  questions bothering the globetrotting professional and helps them deal with the tricky situations they come across in a complex corporate world. The author is an experienced practitioners of corporate etiquette and international protocol. She has also trained over 3,000 executives, which gives her an upper hand in writing on the subject. Shital said, “My aim of writing this book is to demystify the concept of etiquettes in a workplace for an Indian professional, since etiquettes are often associated with an air of snobbishness in India. This book would address the needs of people right from the classroom to the cubicle.” She added, “Few books written on this topic are by foreign authors, but they hardly meet the requirements of a global Indian. Moreover, they are old-fashioned and they project etiquette as a set of rigid rules.” The book speaks about conversation starters, body language, telephone etiquette, dressing for an interview, power of the pause, benefits of small talk, building cultural sensitivity and even what perfumes to wear at work. It touches upon many other useful topics which are often ignored by many, which can make or break one’s career while working in an MNC, where one gets to work with people from different cultures and geographical locations. It is a comprehensive guide which uses simple language and is ideal for young entrepreneurs and students too, with it’s practical inputs. The book was launched in Reliance TimeOut, in the presence of Subroto Bagchi, the co-founder of Mindtree, a well-known author himself.